@dib8rman, I can see your points for the invasion (due to past gassing of the Kurds, Iranians, etc). In my opinion Saddam was zero threat. The first Gulf War clearly showed that Iraq was no match for USA or the coalition. They were stomped and it would have been foolish for Saddam to think they he could start another war and actually win.
I'll go over the assumptions you made of me:
1. That the US put Saddam in power. - I never really stated this just stated that USA helped Iraq during the Iran/Iraq war. Which USA provided Iraq with weapons (I couldn't find any info that USA provided Iraq with WMDs or nerve gasses except I did find this in Wiki...
"Despite the removal of Saddam and his regime by American forces, there is deep resentment and anger in Iran that it was Western nations that helped Iraq develop and direct its chemical weapons arsenal in the first place and that the world did nothing to punish Iraq for its use of chemical weapons throughout the war.[citation needed] For example, the United States and the UK blocked condemnation of Iraq's known chemical weapons attacks at the UN Security Council. No resolution was passed during the war that specifically criticized Iraq's use of chemical weapons, despite the wishes of the majority to condemn this use. On March 21, 1986 the United Nation Security Council recognized that "chemical weapons on many occasions have been used by Iraqi forces against Iranian forces"; this statement was opposed by the United States, the sole country to vote against it in the Security Council (the UK abstained)"
So basically the USA at that time didn't give a shit that Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran due to USA fearing Iran more at the time. Sounds a little hypocritical doesn't? To pretty much deny or brush aside the issue during the 80s yet somehow over a decade after Desert Storm it is worth a war over?
2. That the US should have ignored Iraq for Afghanistan. - They should have just stuck in Afghanistan was my argument. We should have never gone to Iraq in the first place. North Korea developed nukes and we didn't invade them. Iran is still trying to develop nukes. Israel would probably just do another strike like they did against Iraq in 81 if they felt Iraq or Iran was about to have a nuke.
3. That the US should have pulled out of Iraq - Never really stated that. Once we f'd everything up by going in there we had no choice but to stay till things were least semi cleared up.
4. That the peoples of Iraq (the middle east all uniformly are at least offended by our troops being there.) - Osama main mission was to drive US out of Saudi Arabia and surrounding Middle East. Sure there are people in the Middle East that want USA there. However, there are a lot of people that are angry with USA presence. Pretty much they are offended by it as much as the Crusades. Middle East in my opinion is only on the radar because of oil. If USA was smart we would get ourselves off the ancient tech known as fossil fuels then we really wouldn't have to worry about the Middle East at all (besides protecting Israel if it is attacked).
The best defense is a good offense. - So how did Iraq pose a threat when they wouldn't disclose if they had more WMDs? North Korea and Iran were doing the same thing. I guess Iraq was just an easier pill to swallow?
My main argument I was trying to make with that rant was that USA needs to stop meddling into other countries affairs. We don't have a good track record (Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, etc). Most of the times the country ends up worse than before we started meddling around with it either with CIA or military. We have no right to chose which government system is better for another country. If another country wants democracy then they can rise up and revolt themselves. A democratic nation should only go to war if they are attacked, allies are attacked, or to prevent genocide. To my knowledge Iraq did none of these before the recent war except for genocide and that was back in the late 80s (which we eventually went to war with them during the first Gulf War).
Let me leave you with this. The war on terror will not be won by the barrel of a gun (just like the war on drugs will not be won by putting people in jail, quite frankly you can never win either of those wars so we find ourselves in a permanent war which allows our freedoms to be slowly stripped away). It can only be "won" through proper education. A human isn't born to hate. Hate is taught in the "schools" of Middle East, family members, peers and "mosques". Instead of spending countless billions dropping bombs (killing people that have relatives which turns more people into hating you) we should spend that money to help out the Middle Eastern countries education system (USA education system needs help also). Give them a proper education that doesn't teach them to hate Jews or Americans. That is the best offense.... Education.
Anyways, I'll try and respond more to your post later. I'd like to hear more of your responses.
